# falchion
## English
### Alternative forms

* fachon (14th-17th century)
* fachone (14th-17th century)
* fachoun (14th-17th century)
* fauchon (14th-17th century)
* fauchone (14th-17th century)
* fauchoun (14th-17th century)
* fawchon (14th-17th century)
* fawchone (14th-17th century)
* fawchoun (14th-17th century)
* fauschune (15th century)
* fawchun (15th century)
* fawken (15th century, erroneous, conflating falcon)
* fouchon (15th century)
* fwalchon (15th century)
* fachen (16th century)
* falcheon (16th century)
* faucheon (16th-19th century)
* fauchin (16th-17th century)
* fauchine (16th-17th century)
* fauchion (16th-19th century)
* faulcheon (16th-19th century)
* faulchion (16th-19th century)
* fawcheon (16th-19th century)
* fawchin (16th-17th century)
* fawchine (16th-17th century)
* fawchion (16th-19th century)
* falcen (17th century, erroneous, conflating falcon)
* falchon (17th century)
* faulchin (18th century)

### Etymology

From Middle English fauchoun, from Old French fauchon (cognate with Italian falcione), from Vulgar Latin *falciōnem, from Latin falx.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) enPR: fôlʹshən, IPA: /ˈfɔːlʃən/,
* (US) IPA: /ˈfɔlt͡ʃən/
** (cot–caught merger) IPA: /ˈfɑlt͡ʃən/

### Noun

falchion (plural falchions)
* (also attributively) A somewhat curved, single-edged medieval sword of European origin, with the cutting edge on its convex side, whose design is reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese dao.
** c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 309:I haue seene the day, with my good biting Faulchion
** 1607, [Barnabe Barnes], The Divils Charter: A Tragædie Conteining the Life and Death of Pope Alexander the Sixt. […], London: Printed by G[eorge] E[ld] for Iohn Wright, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene ii:Thy Chamber with Ambroſiall odors breatheth, / New loues and true loues vnto them that entreateth, / And furious Mars made milde his Faulcheon ſheatheth / At thy delicious aſpect: […]
** 1816, [Walter Scott], “Letter IX. Paul to His Sister Margaret. The Troubadour.”, in Paul’s Letters to His Kinsfolk, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, and John Murray, →OCLC, page 211:Even when the battle-roar was deep, / With dauntless heart he hewed his way, / Mid splintering lance and falchion-sweep, / And still was heard his warrior-lay; […]
** 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter X, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 242:The Jester wore his usual fantastic habit, but late accidents had led him to adopt a good cutting falchion, instead of his wooden sword, with a targe to match it; […]
* (obsolete) A billhook.

#### Derived terms

* case of falchions (swordplay)
* double falchion (swordplay)
* falchioned (armed with a falchion)
* single falchion (swordplay)

#### Translations
### Verb

falchion (third-person singular simple present falchions, present participle falchioning, simple past and past participle falchioned)
* (obsolete, rare, transitive) Attack with a falchion.

#### Derived terms

* falchioned (slain by a falchion)

### References

* 1 2 3 4 5 “falchion, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
* 1 2 “†ˈfalchion, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)